Gene Henley

Gene has covered sports in the Chattanooga area since 2008 and has ascended from covering preps to colleges in his time. He primarily covers UTC athletics, a job he's held from 2013-18 and again since 2020, having spent two seasons covering Tennessee pre-pandemic. Gene played four seasons of college basketball and has a 20-year son named Judah who plays at Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri.

Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com.

UTC football team can’t risk bad final week of regular season

by Gene Henley ·November 13, 2022

Like it or not, UTC offensive lineman McClendon Curtis and his teammates are right back in the same spot they were a year ago.

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / UTC defensive lineman John Prince gets a hand on Samford quarterback Michael Hiers but can't wrap him up during Saturday's SoCon game at Finley Stadium. The Mocs lost their final home game on the schedule and close the regular season this week at Western Carolina.

Slow start hurts UTC in home loss as Samford celebrates SoCon title

by Gene Henley ·November 12, 2022

The Samford Bulldogs made themselves right at home at Finley Stadium on Saturday afternoon, and that was trouble for UTC.

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Samford's Kendall Watson, a former McCallie standout, avoids the tackle attempt of UTC's Shamar Jones during Saturday's showdown of SoCon title hopefuls Saturday at Finley Stadium.

UTC women lose to Austin Peay as ‘energy and effort’ lag for Mocs

by Gene Henley ·November 12, 2022

The UTC women's basketball team dropped a close game for the second time in the opening week of the season.

Staff photo by Olivia Ross / UTC women's basketball cach Shawn Poppie, shown during Monday's season-opening win against Young Harris, was frustrated by a lack of effort and energy in Saturday's home loss to Austin Peay.

Juan Bullard’s 2-point run for win pushes East Hamilton into quarterfinals

by Gene Henley ·November 11, 2022

Juan Bullard was tired Friday night, but the job wasn't done.

Staff photo by Robin Rudd / East Hamilton quarterback Juan Bullard (17) shakes off a DeKalb County defender during a first-round win in the TSSAA Class 4A playoffs last week. Bullard had another big game Friday to help the Hurricanes beat Upperman and reach the quarterfinals.

UTC football seniors patiently persisted with big goals in mind

by Gene Henley ·November 11, 2022

The UTC football team's senior class has had quite the journey, and the Mocs hope to extend it beyond a regular season that's almost complete.

Staff photo by Robin Rudd / UTC's Devonnsha Maxwell (90) forces a fumble that was recovered by teammate Jay Person during a home game against East Tennessee State on Oct. 16, 2021. Maxwell is now a sixth-year senior closing in on the end of a college football career he hopes will include the Mocs' first playoff appearance since he joined the team.

UTC freshman Camden Overton makes early impact as Mocs chase SoCon title

by Gene Henley ·November 10, 2022

Camden Overton has been in this situation before.

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / UTC freshman tight end Camden Overton talks to a coach between plays during practice Thursday at Scrappy Moore Field.

UTC football season boosted by strong first halves at home

by Gene Henley ·November 9, 2022

For the UTC football team, holding true to form probably wouldn't be a bad thing Saturday.

Staff photo by Robin Rudd / UTC quarterback Preston Hutchinson scrambles away from VMI defenders during an Oct. 15 game at Finley Stadium. The Mocs, 7-2 overall this season, are 4-0 at Finley and have led each of those games by at least 13 points at halftime. They've faced bigger challenges on the road, losing to Illinois and Furman and having to rally for wins in the other three games.

Coach Jimmy Obleda, Chattanooga Red Wolves part ways

by Gene Henley ·November 9, 2022

The season is over for the Chattanooga Red Wolves, and so is the Jimmy Obleda era for the USL League One club.

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Jimmy Obleda watches the Chattanooga Red Wolves warm up before a USL League One match against Northern Colorado on May 7 at CHI Memorial Stadium in East Ridge.

Mocs come up short at College of Charleston in season opener

by Gene Henley ·November 8, 2022

Dalvin White has tattoos of his mother, his father and his brothers on his arms, each portrait reminding him of the journey that has landed him at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for his final season of college basketball.

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / UTC (10) Dalvin White puts up a shot during a team practice on the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga campus in the Brenda Lawson Student-Athlete Success Center on Wednesday, November 2, 2022.

Wazeerud-Din helps UTC women open season in style

by Gene Henley ·November 7, 2022

Maybe the reason Yazz Wazeerud-Din is so unassuming on the court is because she doesn't know how to be in the spotlight.